North Jersey communities step up to help in response to hurricane devastation down south

The death toll has surpassed 230 and hundreds remain missing in the path of destruction that Helene carved across the Southeast states, with tens of thousands of residents in dire need of basic necessities including running water and electricity.

With New Jersey having been spared, Garden State residents are stepping up to help, as evidenced by numerous community members loading up donations and heading for the states ravaged by the fourth-deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1950. Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 26 before it continued its march across Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia, leaving behind unprecedented levels of destruction across rural areas.

How North Jersey communities are helping Helene victims

Firefighters from Parsippany-Troy Hills Volunteer Fire District 5, Station 2, will depart on several trips to North Carolina to assist with recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene, with teams of first responders heading for the greater Asheville area beginning Friday morning.

Communities on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which cover western North Carolina and Asheville, have been left devastated ; in addition to the lives lost or unaccounted for, roadways have become impassable, and communities have been wiped off the map . North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper called Helene " one of the worst storms in modern history for parts of North Carolina ."

Community members are encouraged to donate much-needed items to the Parsippany Fire Department's Station 2, at 200 South Beverwyck Road, anytime this week, with several trips to the battered southern state planned in the coming days.

The department was "incredibly humbled" Wednesday when donations were pouring in, with no signs of stopping, said a post on the department's Facebook page. Donations can be dropped off at the firehouse's designated doors.

The department is asking for the following items:

• Bottled water.
• Non-perishable food (canned foods).
• Baby food, formula and diapers.
• Light and winter jackets (please do not donate any other clothing items at this time).
• Blankets.

The department is also collecting monetary donations, which will fully support residents affected by the storm. The community can donate to PFD5.Square.Site , which links directly to Parsippany's donation page, or scan a QR code on the department's Facebook page .

"Again, we cannot thank everyone enough," the department said on Facebook. "While the circumstance is unfortunate, the outpouring of support shows how amazing the Township of Parsippany and neighboring communities really are!"

Parsippany Mayor James Barberio said in a statement that he is "incredibly proud" of the firefighters "for their selflessness and dedication to helping others in their time of need."

“Let’s come together as a community to support their mission as they embark on this vital journey," he said.

Ramsey and Mahwah in northern Bergen County and the village of Suffern, in New York, teamed up to gather supplies including protein shakes, baby formula, reusable baby bottles, hygiene products and more, Ramsey Mayor Deirdre Dillon said in a Facebook post on Thursday . Donations can be dropped off at Ridgewood Movers, at 575 Corporate Drive in Mahwah. The company is providing a moving truck and will be delivering the supplies to North Carolina.

Earlier this week, the Hawthorne Fire Department in Passaic County collected donations for those affected by Helene by partnering with Operation Kindness NJ. The nonprofit, founded by two sisters whose goal is to spread "kindness and compassion," collected 24 pallets of non-perishable food and other needed items including diapers, toiletries and water, and they were delivered to North Carolina communities this week. Due to an influx of those wanting to help, the organization is collecting even more donations on Friday, Oct. 11, from 2 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to noon at 30 Hillview Road, Lincoln Park, in Morris County. Items being collected are listed on the group's Instagram page and Instagram stories .

Members of Sussex County's Newton VFW Post 5360 , at 85 Mill St. in Newton, are collecting items to donate to Kernersville, North Carolina, a suburb east of Winston-Salem, on Saturday. The following donations can be dropped off from noon to 5 p.m. through Oct. 11: water, first-aid kits, baby supplies, butane tanks, vitamins, protein drinks, heaters, gas stoves, flashlights, batteries, socks, personal hygiene products, cattle and equine feed, non-perishable food, lighter fluid, paper products, blankets, sweatshirts, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and dog and cat food. Sandyston Township is collecting donations, as is Sparta VFW Post 7248 .

Eleventh Hour Rescue, a nonprofit, no-kill animal shelter in Morris County, was "blown away" by donations it received from the community, and a team planned to go to North Carolina on Thursday to deliver them, the organization said in a Facebook post on Wednesday . The rescue plans on supporting animal shelters hit hard by Helene and providing hands-on rescue for displaced animals.

The nonprofit is collecting monetary donations through its fundraising website, Givebutter , and through its PayPal account .

In Bergen County, Real Dog Rescue , a Mahwah-based, nonprofit animal rescue, is donating a portion of proceeds in the month of October to an animal rescue in North Carolina hit hard by Helene. Happy Tales Animal Sanctuary is home to a variety of animals from bunnies, porcupines and pigs to horses, donkeys, cows, foxes, lemurs and a lynx. The sanctuary, in the same county as the once-thriving riverside community of Chimney Rock, which was washed away by the storm , suffered substantial flood damage that toppled trees, destroyed fences, and cut off electricity and water to the farm.

Real Dog Rescue is also seeking fosters willing to take in dogs or puppies displaced by the hurricane. Animal shelters in southern states need to move dogs already in their care to allow room for those that may have been displaced by the storm, the rescue said in a post . Real Dog Rescue will be transporting dogs and puppies from the south to its shelter and is asking residents who are willing to foster to apply online at realdogrescue.org/foster .

If you are in North Jersey and know of others collecting donations for those affected by Helene, please contact lcomstock@njherald.com.

Email: lcomstock@njherald.com ; Twitter: @LoriComstockNJH or on Facebook .

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: North Jersey communities step up to help in response to hurricane devastation down south